Countdown vs Highlights
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Countdown
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Track every important day in one place. Create an event, personalize it, add reminders, and see the time remaining from Home Screen or Lock Screen widgets. Premium includes unlimited events, every theme and photo option, advanced widget styles, alternate icons and an ad-free experience. The annual subscription includes a 7-day free trial for eligible users. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Highlights
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Highlights is a minimalist tool that brings together timing, recording, and smart reminders. It keeps only the essentials—clean design and a smooth experience—so you can easily record every important moment. Use cases: Love and wedding anniversaries, exam and certification countdowns, birthday and holiday reminders, retirement countdowns, habit building, baby growth tracking, yearly progress and school-year progress tracking... Core features: • Time cards: Supports countdowns, countups, and anniversaries, presenting the passage of time in the most intuitive way. • Smart reminders: Automatically remind you based on key event milestones, so you never miss an important moment. • Journal: Add multiple time entries for each event, turning scattered moments into a complete memory line. • Home screen widgets: Offers multiple sizes of minimalist widgets, so important events are visible at a glance without opening the app. • Personalization: Freely change card backgrounds to create a more atmospheric recording experience. • Cross-device sync: Supports iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with data automatically synced through your personal iCloud for a consistent experience. • Privacy protection: No separate data servers. Everything stays on your device and in your personal iCloud space. Terms of Service: https://smartsilly.com/highlights/ios/terms Privacy Policy: https://smartsilly.com/highlights/ios/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Highlights at none against Countdown's shown. On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Countdown sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Highlights sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Countdown | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Atakan Cengiz KURT | SmartSilly Technology (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd. |
In-app purchases
Countdown
- Countdown Premium Monthly$1.991 Month
- Countdown Premium Yearly7 Days trial$11.991 Year
Highlights
- Monthly Membership$1.991 Month
- Annual Membership$9.991 Year
- Lifetime Membership$14.99
- Premium$29.99
Questions
Is Countdown free?
Is Highlights free?
Do Countdown or Highlights have ads?
Which is updated more often, Countdown or Highlights?
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